Tank heater



June 12,1934.- N. v. HENDRICKS 1,962,657

- TANK HEATER Filed July 30. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1934. N. v. HENDRICKS 1, 62

TANK HEATER Filed July so, 1932 2 sheets-511 a: '2

Patented June 12, 1934 PATENT OFFICE TANK HEATER Nathan V. Hendricks, Morenci, Mich. Application July 30,1932, Serial No. 627,159 10 Claims. (01. 126-3435) This invention relates to tank heaters and has particular references to tanks for heating, or heating and distributing, oil or asphalt or other bituminous or similar materials.

The object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means for heating the tank and material therein and circulating the material and heat to secure the most eiiicient results, as well as to reduce to the minimum liability of fire hazard and to simplify and reduce the cost of construction of the tank and liability of leakage therefrom and the cost of heating the material.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts,

hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a tank heater and tank embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the tank and heater.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the tank and heater, a portion of the front wall of the heater being broken away to show internal features of construction.

Fig. 5 is a detail section showing a feature of construction.

In carrying my invention into practice I pro.-

vide a' heating tank or distributor tank 1 comprising a horizontal cylindrical tank body 2, having end walls 3 and 4, said body and walls 'being made of sheet metal of the required gage and welded or otherwise securely united to each other. Enclosing the tank body is a jacket formed of anouter sheet 5 and an inner sheet 6. The sheets 5 and 6 are reinforced and held in spaced relation by spacing bands 7 of angle iron or other suitable material, while the sheet 6 is supported and held in spaced relation to the body wall 2 by a series of similarreinforcing and spacingbands 8. Between the sheets' 5 and 6 above the lower quarter sector of the tank is placed insulation 9 ofsome light material, such as corrugated sheet asbestos, while between the sheets 5 and 6 at the base or along the bottom sector of the tank, which is subjected terial or materials employed serve to prevent heat losses and ensure the use of themaximum available amount of heat to heat the oil or other material in the tank which is to be heated. The tank body 2 forms a reservoir chamber 14 to receive the oil, asphalt or other material to be treated, and'is provided at its top with an outlet 15 for the vent of gases from said chamber. The spaced arrangement of the body wall 2 and sheet 6 provides in conjunction with the bands 8 a series of flues 16 at the sidesof the tank and extending upwardly from the bottom of the tank to the top thereof. These flues are provided for the discharge of the gases of combustion from a heating chamber 17, such gases discharging from the heating chamber and flowing upwardly at both sides of the tank so that all the'available heat therefrom will -be absorbed by the wall 2 and transmitted to heat the contents of chamber 14. At the top of the tank the sheets 5 and 6 are cut away to provide longitudinally extending vent slotsv or ,outlets 18, for the escape to the atmosphere of the gases from the flues. Covers 19 are provided for closing these slots or vent outlets 18 to prevent loss of heat when the heating chamber 17 is not operating, or between intervals of operation thereof.

The heating chamber 17 is disposed longitudinally along the bottom part of the tank and is formedfrom' a single piece of sheet metal centrally bent to form a heating drum or chamber of substantially circular formation or in the form of a split tube, the sheet metal of which the chamber is formed being spread at the bottom of the chamber to provide a longitudinally extending vent slot 20 and neck walls 21 forming the sides of said slot, from which walls 21 the material is extended laterally to form flanges or wings 22. The heating chamber 20 and its flanges or wings 22 form a bottom sector of the wall 2, a radius portion of the wall 2 at the base of the tank being cut away through an arc of more or less, to form a slot extending longitudinally of the tank between the wall 3' and a point short of the wall 4. The chamber 1'7 and its wings fit in this cut out or slot and the wings 22 are welded to' the body 2, as at 23, in such manner as to make the set in heating chamber a component part of the tank body.

The forward end of the heating chamber 17 .is open and fitted" and welded or otherwise se- .cured in an openingin the end wall 3, while the cured therein, which sheet 24 is spaced from the end wall 4 to provide a passage 25 connecting the channels lying on opposite sides of' the heating chamber 17'at the base of the reservoir; Disposed within tire length, whereby said chamber is intensely heated and the heat transmitted therethrough to the body of material contained within the reservoir chamber 14 to keep the store of majterial at a suitable temperature or in a suitableliquified condition for discharge.

The reservoir chamber 14 is supplied with the material to be heated through inlets 2'7 provided in the wall 3 by threading and welding suitable tank flanges in said wall, to which flanges the inlet pipes leading from a suitable source of supply of the material, or from a pump, are con-- nected on the outside of the tank, so that the streams of material flowing into the tank 1 at the end 3 will pass into the conducting channels formed by the curved neck portions 21 at opposite sides of the base of the heating chamber. The heated materialis discharged from the tank through a discharge .pipe or tube 28. The inlet end of this tube 28 is fitted and welded in an opening in the end sheet 24 of the chamber 1'1 and communicates with the pasage 25, while the discharge end of the tube 28 projects outwardly through the open end of the chamber '7 and is free from connection with any part of the tank but disposed so as to discharge the material into any suitable receptacle or conductor which may be employed to receive the material from the discharge end of said discharge pipe. The pipe 28 is arranged to liebetween the neck walls' 21 at the bottom of the heating chamber 1'? below the slot 20 and in spaced relation to said neck walls so as to provide downdraft of flame and heat conducting passages 29 between said tube and neck walls and which communicate with the inlet ends'of the gas discharge flues 16 leading upwardly along the sides of the tank to the outlets 18. By this means the heated material discharging through the tube 28 will be subjected to the intense heat of the flames and products of combustion discharging into the flue 16 through the bottom outlet or slot 20 of the heating chamber 17, so that the discharging portion,

of the material will always be heated to the highest degree and delivered in the best possible condition for use on discharge. By this means a conservation of heat is effected and the material prevented from chilling or cooling during its discharge or delivery period.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the heating chamber 17 is formed from a single sheet of metal extending along the bot-, tom of the tank substantially its full length and weldedto the sheets forming the tank body, so that, the heating chamber is arranged at the most efiicient point for the heating of the contents of the tank regardless of the character or quantity of such contents, and that this heating chamber is connected only with the body and one end wall of the tank and is free from convides a large heating surface within the tank which is almost surrounded by the oil or other contents so that the maximum amount of available heat' units generated by the torch burner will be directed in a straight line substantially the full length of the tank and transmitted through the walls of the heating chamber to the oil or other medium to be heated. The great heating surface afforded by this heating cham-, her and the flues in the tank walls increases the heat transmitting efiiciency to such an extent that the use of but a single torch burner is necessary where ordinarily two burners are required. This construction of heating chamber eliminates the dangers from liability of fires and explosions caused by introducing the intense burner heat into tubes passing through the body of the oil internally of the tank, in which leakages from the tube are apt to be caused by difference in expansion and'contraction of parts to which the tube ends are connected. The downdraft connection between the heating chamber and the lower ends of the flues gives greater efliciency in .that a longer path of travel is afforded for the travel of the flames and products of combustion, so that a greater amount of. heat will be absorbed by the oil or other material By disposing the discharge tube in this downdraft path of travel, greater efiiciency in heating the oil or other material which, is being discharged is obtained and assurancegiven of the material being delivered at the exact temperature desired for use. By providing the inlets 27 and passage 25, arranged forcooperation as described, a circulation of the oil along the heating chamber and throughout the tank is ensured, so that a uniform heatingwill be obtained. My improved tank is further advantageous over constructions employing numerous circulating tubes, not only in avoiding, liability of leakage and danger from flre or explosion, but also in producing a tank of materially greater strength but less weight.

Preferably the heater 17 and discharge tube rificing any of the advantages thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A tank for heating oil, asphalt or other materials comprising .a horizontal cylindrical casing forming a reservoir for the material to be heated, heating flues at the sides of the casing and discharging to the atmosphere at the top thereof, a heating chamber extending longitudinally at the base of the casing and having outlet passages at its sides communicating with said flues, and a discharge conductor communieating with the material containing space of the casing and extending outwardly along the bottom of the heating chamber between said outlet passages thereof.

2. A tank for heating oil, asphalt or other materials comprising a horizontal cylindrical casing forming a reservoir for the material to be heated, heating flues at the sides of the casing, and discharging to the atmosphere atthe top thereof, a heating chamber extending longitudinally at its base and communicating at its sides with said flues, material introducing inlets'communicating with the tank on opposite sides of the heating chamber, and a discharge conductor leading outwardly from the material containing space of the tank along the bottom of the heating chamber between the oulets therefrom to the fiues.

3. A tank for heating oil, asphalt orother materials comprising a horizontal cylindrical casing forming a reservoir for the material to be heated and having an outlet for the discharge of gases at its top, heating fiues at the sides thereof discharging to the atmosphere at the top of the casing, a heating chamber extending longitudinally of the casing at the bottom thereof, said chamber opening at its outer end through one end wall of the casing and having a closed inner end terminating short of the other end wall of the casing to provide a cross passage between the material containing space of the casing at oppositesides of said passage, the said chamber communicating at its base with said flues, and material introducing inlets communicating with the tank on opposite sides of the heating chamber.

4. A tank for heating oil, asphalt or other materials comprising a horizontal cylindrical casing forming a reservoir for the material to be heated and having an outlet for the discharge of gases at its top, heating fiues at the sides thereof discharging to the atmosphere at the top of the casing, a heating chamber extending longitudinally of the casing at the bottom thereof, said chamber opening at its outer end through one end wall of the casing and having a closed inner end terminating short of the other end wall of the casing to provide a cross passage between the material containing space of the casing at opposite sides of said passage, the said chamber communicating at its base with said flues, and a discharge conductor communicating with the material containing space of the tank and extending outwardly along the bottom of the heating chamber between the outlets therefrom to the flues.

5. A tank for heating oil, asphalt or other materials comprising a horizontal cylindrical casing forming a reservoir for the material to be heated and having an outlet for the discharge of gases at its top, heating flues at the sides thereof discharging to the atmosphere at the top of the casing, a heating chamber extending longitudinally of the casing at the bottom thereof, said chamber opening at its outer end through one end wall of the casing and having aclosed inner end terminating short of the other end wall of the casing to provide a cross passage between the material containing space of thecasing at opposite sides of said passage, the said chamber communicating at itsbase with said flues, material introducing inlets communicating with the tank on opposite sides of ing therewith a series of upflow flues at each side of the casing discharging to the atmosphere at the top of the casing, a heating chamber extending longitudinally at the base of the casing and communicating at its sides with said series of flues, and a discharge conductor communicating with the material containing space of the tank and extending outwardly along the bottom of the heating chamber between the outlets therefrom to the flues.

7. A tank for heating oil, asphalt or other materials comprising a cylindrical casing forming a reservoir for the chamber to be heated and embodying inner and outer walls and interposed longitudinally spaced spacing rings forming therewith a series of upflow fiues at each side of, the casing discharging to the atmosphere at the top of the casing, a heating chamber extending longitudinally at the base of the casing and communicating at its sides with said series of fiues, material introducing inletscommunicating with the tank on oppositesides of the heating chamber, and a discharge conductor leading outwardly from the material containing space of the tank along the bottom of the heating chamber between the outlets therefrom to the flues.

8. YA tank for heating oil, asphalt or other materials comprising a cylindrical casing forming a reservoir for the chamber to be heated and embodying'inner and outer walls and interposed longitudinally spaced spacing rin'gs forming therewith a series of upflow flues' at each side of the casing discharging to the atmosphere .at the top of the casing, a heating chamber extending longitudinally of the casing at the bottom thereof, said chamber opening at its outer end through one end wall of the casing and having a closed inner end terminating short of the other end wall of the casing to provide a cross passage between the material containing space of the casing at opposite sides of said passage, the said chamber communicating at its base with said flues.

9. A tank for heating oil, asphalt or other materials comprising a horizontal cylindrical casing forming a reservoir for the material to be heated, said casinghaving a cut-away portion at its base extending from one end wall thereof adjacent to the opposite end wall vthereof, and a heating chamber fitted in said cut-away portion and secured to the casing, a burner in the chamber, said chamber having an outlet slot at its base for discharge of the products of end of the casing to provide a cross passage between the material containing space of the casing at oppositesides of said passage, means for introducing material into the casing, a discharge conductor communicating with the cross passage at one end and extending along the outlet slot at the base of the chamber and outwardly from the casing at its opposite end, and means atthe sides of the casing forming outlet flues extending fromsaid slot to the top of the casing.

10. A tankfor heating oil, asphalt or other materials comprising a horizontal cylindrical casing forming a reservoir for the material to be heated, said casing having a cut-away portion at its base extending from one end wall thereof adjacent to the opposite end wall thereof, and a heating chamber fitted in said cutaway portion and secured to the casing, a burner casing on opposite sides of the heating chamber, a discharge conductor communicating with the cross passage at one end and extending along the outlet slot at the base of the chamber and outwardly from the casing at'its opposite end, and means at the sides of the casing forming outlet fiues extending from said slot to the top of the casing.

" NATHAN V. HENDRICKS. 

